Mask policies return in US as respiratory viruses threaten to strain hospitals

Some health systems have returned to mask and limited-visitation policies as officials warn hospital capacity may become strained. Photograph: EMS-Forster-Productions/Getty Images

Cases of and hospitalizations for respiratory viruses, including Covid, the flu and RSV, continue rising across the US, and some health systems have begun returning to mask and limited-visitation policies as health officials warn that hospital capacity may become strained.

Vaccination rates for all three illnesses remain low, despite the efficacy of updated flu and Covid boosters and the entrance of new RSV vaccines for older and pregnant people.